Automatic high-pressure valve



Aug. 11, 1953 F; FAHNOE AUTOMATIC HIGH-PRESSURE VALVE Filed Nov. 19, 1948 FIG.

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1 K m l. 4 m D v, E LU R F 7- IA 3 4 m 6 2 f 5.42 x \v\\\\\\ L a I II 2 2 6 p 2 L 2 4/ $7 r a M w 8; MM fiLMz ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 11, 1953 AUTOMATIC HIGH-PRESSURE VALVE Frederick Fahnoe, Easton, Pa., assignor to General Aniline & Film Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application November 19, 1948, Serial No. 60,965

Claims.

This invention relates to a float controlled pressure valve and more particularly to a valve designed to automatically remove liquid from gas and liquid phase reaction mixtures conducted under high pressure. 7

In continuous gas and liquid phase reactions conducted under high pressure it is difiicult to remove the liquid phase product continuously and automatically without releasing the reaction pressure on the gas phase. The problem becomes particularly acute at pressures greater than 100 p. s. i. and where the quantities of liquid are small such as encountered for example in pilot plant development work. It has been the practice to make intermediate withdrawal of the liquid phase product by manual means, but this introduces a possible error because the abstracted product is not representative of the reaction at any specific time and product control methods for the reaction are not feasible.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an automatic valve adapted to remove small portions of liquid from a gas-liquid phase reaction conducted under high pressure.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a valve which will operate automatically to remove continuously small amounts of liquid under high pressure without releasing the pressure thereon.

These and other objects of the present invention are attained by the means described herein,

a preferable form of which is illustrated in the drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view of the valve of the present invention partially cut away and partially in section,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the lower part of the valve taken at an angle 90 to the section shown in Fig. 1 as indicated on the lines 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the valve taken on the lines 33 of Fig. 2 and,

Fig. i is a sectional view taken through the valve at lines 44 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the valve comprises an exterior vertical casing It]. A screw threaded plug l l is screwed into the top of the cylinder and contains a screw threaded inlet port l2, adapted to receive the liquid from a reaction vessel under pressure, leading downwardly into the body of the plug and connecting with a plurality of distributor ports l3 adapted to distribute the liquid to the inner wall I 4 of the cylinder Ill. This inner wall It is corrugated as shown in Fig. 4 to allow the passage of the liquid downwardly without being blocked by the float as well as to provide minimum friction and thin film eiTect between float 28 and casing It. At the lower end of the cylinder there is provided a body member It which is screw threaded into the cylinder. This body member contains an upper valve seat H and lower valve seat I8, which for convenience of construction may be screw threaded plugs screwed into the body member. It will be understood that alternatively the valve seat may be drilled directly into the body member itself.

Above the body member is an inverted hollow float 25 which is fitted closely to the side walls of the cylinder and is adapted to be floated by a small amount of liquid. The float is open at the lower end because of the wide range of pressures to which it is subjected. Rigidly attached at each side of the float and at the lower edge thereof is a pair of arms 2| as shown at Fig. 2, which by means of cross bar 22 are adapted to move the two-ended stem valve 23. The arms 2| operate in slotted guide ways 25 in the sides of body member 16. It will be seen that the valve 23 is a double-acting or balanced valve which may be operated by the float irrespective of the pressure present. The lower valve has a beveled end whereas the upper valve proximate to its end has a plurality of tapered grooves, said tapered grooves being wider and deeper at their lower end and diminishing in depth and width at their upper end. Such a structure enables the valve system to operate in a most uniform manner and permits the bleeding of minute quantities of liquid from the lower end of the cylinder simultaneously with the introduction of again small quantities of liquids into the float chamber. In the area of the valve a portion of the body member I6 is cut away so that the liquid may reach the valves. The body member is further provided with a passageway 24 and an outlet port 26. The passageway 24 connects with the upper valve seat and delivers liquid taken therein to the outlet port 26. Valve seat [8 leads directly to the outlet port 25. For convenience of construction the upper valve seat I? is drilled into a screw thread plug which is threaded through the body member it, and the screw threaded aperture is, therefore, sealed as by means of bolt 21. Tap 28 is located so that the float chamber can be drained of liquid and then pressured with gas at the reaction pressure to fill the float with gas, after which it is closed up.

In the operation of the valve, the liquid enters through inlet port !2, is distributed to the inner periphery of the cylinder by means of a plurality of distributor ports I 3, flows downwardly through the inner wall of the cylinder down to the area where the valves are located and rises until it fills all the open space within the cylinder and part way up into the float until there is sufficient liquid to raise the float. When the float is raised, the valve moves upwardly permitting both valve seats to release the liquid. When the liquid has receded sufficiently to allow the float to drop down, both valves are simultaneously shut oiT. The entrance of more liquid into the device causes the process to repeat and a steady flow of liquid into the device causes an almost steady discharge of liquid without release of pressure. The valve is constructed with very small clearances so that there is a small hold-up of liquid cc.) and that a very small amount of liquid (1 or 2 cc.) will operate it, and, thus, substantially continuous removal or bleeding of liquid from a reaction vessel maintained under pressure is assured.

The valve action is rendered independent of imposed pressure since the valve port areas are exactly equal and opposite. The float is only of sufiicient size to overcome friction of the moving parts. The valve is operated in a vertical position but a true plumb is not necessary.

While a preferable form of the invention has been illustrated and described, alterations and modifications may be made within the scope of the attached claims.

I claim:

1. An automatic high pressure valve adapted for removing liquid which is under high pressure without releasing the pressure on said liquid which comprises a chamber, a float within the upper portion of said chamber, balanced valves in the lower portion of said chamber, which valves are adapted to be opened by the upward movement of said float, one of said valves having a beveled end and the opposed valve having tapered grooves proximate to its end, an inlet and an outlet in said chamber, said valves controlling the flow of liquid through said outlet only, and passageways in said chamber adapted to require passage of liquid through said valves in passing from said inlet to said outlet.

2. An automatic high pressure valve adapted for removing liquid which is under high pressure without releasing the pressure on said liquid which comprises an elongated cylindrical chamber, an inverted hollow float substantially filling the upper portion of said chamber, corrugated walls on the inside of said chamber surrounding the float and adapted to allow passage of liquid past the float, balanced valves in the lower portion of said chamber adapted to be opened by the upward movement of said float, one of said valves having a beveled end and the opposed valve having tapered grooves proximate to its end, an inlet at the upper end of said chamber and an outlet at the lower end of said chamber, distributing means associated with said inlet to distribute liquid to the inner periphery of said chamber, and passageways Within said cylindrical chamber adapted to require passage of liquid through said valves from said inlet to said outlet, said chamber being of a size not substantially greater than the operating mechanism within so as to offer a minimum liquid retention.

3. An automatic high pressure valve adapted for removing liquid which is under high pressure without releasing the pressure on said liquid which comprises an elongated cylindrical chamber, an inverted hollow float substantially filling the upper portion of said chamber, balanced valves in the lower portion of said chamber adapted to be opened by the upward movement oi. said float, one of said valves having a beveled end and the opposed valve having tapered grooves proximate to its end, an inlet at the upper end of said chamber and an outlet at the lower end of said chamber, distributing means associated with said inlet to distribute liquid to the inner periphery of said chamber, and passageways within said cylinder adapted to require passage of liquid through said valves from said inlet to said outlet, said chamber being of a size not substantially greater than the operating mechanism within so as to offer a minimum liquid retention.

4. An automatic high pressure valve adapted for removing liquid which is under high pressure without releasing the pressure on said liquid which comprises a chamber, an inverted hollow float substantially filling the upper portion of said chamber, balanced valves in the lower portion of said chamber adapted to be opened by the upward movement of said float, one of said valves having a beveled end and the opposed valve hav ing tapered grooves proximate to its end, an inlet at the upper end of said chamber and an outlet at the lower end of said chamber, said balanced valves controlling the flow of liquid through said outlet only, and passageways within said cham' ber adapted to require passage of liquid through said valves from said inlet to said outlet, said chamber being of a siz not substantially greater than the operating mechanism within so as to ofler a minimum liquid retention.

5. An automatic high pressure valve adapted for removing liquid which is under high pressure without releasing the pressure on said liquid, which comprises an elongated cylindrical cham-' ber, an inverted hollow float substantially filling the upper portion of said chambenbalancedvalvs in the lower portion of said chamber, diametrically opposed arms rigidly attached to said float at the lower edge thereof and extending downwardly to the lower portion of said chamber, means connecting the lower ends of said arms and in engagement with said balanced valves, said balanced valves thus being adapted to be opened by the upward movement of said float, an inlet at th upper end of said cylinder and an outlet at the lower end of said cylinder, and passageways within said cylinder adapted to require passage of liquid through said valves from said inlet to said outlet, said chamber being of a size not substantially greater than the operating mechanism within, so as to offer a minimum liquid retention.

FREDERICK FAHNOE.

References Cited in the file Of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 7,

206,748 Pascall Aug. 6, 1878 239,001 Westinghouse Mar. 15, 1881 406,875 Carleton July 16, 1889 426,880 Taylor Apr. 29, 1890 1,149,722 Buckley Aug. 10, 1915 1,316,583 Leitch Sept. 23, 1919 1,338,995 Moore May 4, 1920 1,354,604 Duggan Oct. 5, 1920 1,553,385 Kohr Sept. 15, 1925 1,906,277 McGee May 2, 1933 2,069,364 Gussick Feb. 2, 1937 2,169,462 DeGrace Aug. 15, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 618,231 France Mar. 5. 1927 

